Takashi Morinozuka
Takashi "Mori" Morinozuka is a 3rd-year student at Ouran Academy and the second-oldest member of the Ouran Host Club. As a Host, he is considered the "Wild" type in the manga and the "Strong-Silent" type in the anime. He is rarely seen without his cousin and best friend, Honey, who is often found riding on his shoulders. Historically, the Morinozuka family had served the Haninozuka family for many generations before marriage joined the families, thus breaking the master-servant tradition; despite this, Mori still faithfully looks out for Honey and attends to his wishes. He is a national champion in kendo and a skilled karate practitioner. His stoic and sometimes scary demeanor hides the fact that he has a peculiar connection with animals as seen in the manga when he adopts a stray tanuki and cares for a baby chick, and wherein it is also said that he has a "fetish for small things" (Honey, Haruhi, etc.). Personality As a taciturn person, Mori only speaks when something needs to be said; his intelligence and observant nature taking in much more than many realize, making him a wise advisor to those who seek his counsel. His protective nature extends not only to his best friend and cousin, Honey, but to his friends and classmates, as well. He is extremely well-respected and well-liked by everyone who knows him; however, when tired, he can become talkative and somewhat flirtatious, which surprises those unaccustomed to this side of his personality. Mori is quite loyal and generous, especially in regards to Honey and the female host, Haruhi; this is demonstrated in his willingness to assist them in whatever they need without a second thought and without ever appearing subservient or uncertain of his individuality. In the anime episode Ep 22 - Mori-Senpai Has An Apprentice Candidate, 1st-year student Ritsu Kasanoda - the third generation heir of the Kasanoda-gumi (a yakuza gang), seeks Mori's advice on making friends because, despite his intimidating appearance, he appears to have many. In Chapter 51 of the manga, Hikaru is shown to stay the night at Mori's home; while there, Mori is shown to be rather blunt in addressing Hikaru's issues. Mori is born under the star sign of Taurus, the Bull. The positive traits of this sign are generosity, dependability, down to earth nature, patience, independence and persistence; while the negative traits are stubborness, indolence, materialism, possessiveness and frugality. Appearance Standing at 6'3" (or 188cm), Mori is an imposing figure that is made all the more so by his wild appearance, possessing spiky black hair, dark gray eyes and a darker skin tone than the other Hosts. He is noted to wear the typical Ouran Academy blazer unbuttoned on most occasions, and is rarely ever seen without Honey walking by his side or perching on his shoulders. Mori's rose color in the Host Club is deep blue. In Japanese culture, blue signifies loyalty; Mori demonstrates this quality when it comes to Honey, his studies, and the Host Club. In Western culture, a truly blue rose does not occur naturally; however, in art, it signifies attainment of the impossible with a secondary meaning of prosperity. Mori's "unattainable" is Haruhi (though never directly stated) and an omake reveals that he does indeed live a prosperous life and continues to do so in the future. Family Mitsukuni "Honey" Haninozuka It's no secret that Honey and Mori are incredibly close; most scenes in which each appears are shared with the other. The two hosts are cousins by marriage and their families have a long-standing history. Takashi is very protective of Honey and feels responsible for each thing that can (and does) go wrong for him. This can be seen when Honey gets a cavity in Ep 12 - Honey's Bitter Three Days! wherein the loli-boy gets a cavity and must give up sweets. Mori is very strict in limiting candy and cake, but feels that he's at fault for failing to remind Honey to brush his teeth, leading him to pick a fight with the loli-shota as a means of self-punishment. Mori's supportive nature of Honey is observed in subtle references and behaviors but is best seen during Ep 20 - The Door the Twins Opened!'' ''when Honey discovers that Tamaki has invited both he and Mori into the Host Club. He tells Mori that Tamaki says, "it's okay for me to like cute things" and "it's okay for me to like cake. I'm not sure what to do." When Mori replies, "Do whatever you want, Mitsukuni. It's no big deal," he shows that his loyalty lies not in family blood ties but with Honey, himself. Another telling moment occurs in the manga, just before graduation, when Mori challenges Honey to a duel so he can say what's on his mind without feeling guilty for criticizing his friend. Honey agrees knowing exactly why and what's at stake. Mori wins by catching Honey in mid-air and placing him out of bounds. After winning, he pulls out a list of things that Honey is required to do in college, one of which is to not bring Usa-chan along. While relationship sometimes appears to be master-servant in tone, it is truly balanced and even sibling-like with Mori behaving like an older brother. Satoshi Morinozuka Satoshi is a manga-only character and the younger brother of Mori. Satoshi is shown to idolize his brother, whom he calls Taka-kun; however, apart from the times when Takashi is tired and acts "refreshingly," he is radically different from his brooding sibling. Although Mori reciprocates the care that his younger brother shows him, he isn't afraid to correct him when Satoshi acts rudely or misbehaves.